Amazing Cooking Interview with OIS Staff!

For the April edition, I have decided to go further into my cooking section, in the OIS newspaper. I have decided to interview all staff, who are part of our wonderful community! I thought it would be very interesting, we are also able to see differences and similarities between the staff’s own cuisine preferences. I have interviewed a wide range of the OIS staff; therefore, I would encourage you to read all of these fun responses. I hope you enjoy it! -Clementine

Mr. Tomalin

The first interviewee for this article is Mr. Tomalin, who is the OIS principal. He told me his favorite foods would be any Indian dishes and Pasteis de Nata or Bacalhau since arriving in Portugal. I have then asked him what his favorite type of cuisine was, he told me it was Indian food! Lastly, I questioned if there was any meals that he enjoys eating during the winter season. He explained how there is a lovely Colombian soup called “Ajiaco” which is great to eat on cold evenings. It includes five different types of potatoes, chicken, capers, “guascas” (which is a Colombian herb) and is “super rico!”, and it makes him feel all cozy.

Mrs. Hannam:

The second interviewee is Mrs. Hannam, who is an I & S and Maths teacher, she is also the Y9.2 tutor. She told me her favorite food was chocolate. Her favorite type of cuisine is Indian. I then asked if she had any meals she really enjoys eating during Winter and she replied with “Shepherd’s Pie” which is an English dish with mashed potatoes, ground beef, and other delicious ingredients. Finally, I questioned if she would want to share a good recipe for Shepherds Pie that she would like to share with the OIS community. Here is the recipe she reccomended:

Ingredients:

• ½ kg of ground beef (lamb is also nice)

• 1 large onion chopped

• 2 carrots diced finely

• Olive Oil

• 1 Tbsp. Mixed Herbs

• 2 Tbsp. Bisto Gravy Granules

• Boiling Water (8 oz) to make gravy

• 5 large Potatoes peeled and chopped Butter

• Cream

Method:

Heat up the olive oil in a large pot and add the onion and carrot. Fry over medium/high heat for 3 minutes.

Add the ground beef to the pot as well as the mixed herbs and fry until the meat is browned.

Add 8 oz of boiling water and the gravy granules. Stir until you have the desired consistency.

Add the frozen peas and continue to simmer for 3-4 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until they are soft, drain and mash with the butter and cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the meat mixture in a baking dish. Add the mashed potato to the top and spread evenly.

Mr. Stedman:

The third interviewee is Mr. Stedman, who is the head of Science in OIS. He told me his favorite food is Chicken Curry. His favorite type of cuisine is Indian and Thai. Then, I asked him if he enjoyed eating a certain meal during the Winter season, he answered with “Roast Dinners”, this meal is a traditional English dish which usually involves roasted meat, roast potatoes, and accompaniments such as stuffing, gravy, Yorkshire pudding, and apple sauce. Finally, he told me how he always includes lemongrass in the curries as it gives the meal a lovely flavor.

Joana Do Vale:

The fourth interviewee is Mrs. Do Vale, who is the OIS librarian. She told me her favorite food is Octopus Rice, Spaghetti Bolognese, and Feijoada (Portuguese dish). Her favorite type of cuisine is Portuguese. Finally, her favorite meals during the Winter season are Chicken Soup, Caldo Verde, Shepherd’s Pie, and comfort food.

Marta Branquinho:

The fifth interviewee is Mrs. Branquinho, who is the OIS Head of Administration and Finance. Her favorite food is her mother’s rich and satisfying pork and beans stew. She told me her favorite type of cuisine is Mediterranean. Then, she said she really enjoys oven baked dishes (including loads of vegetables) during the Winter Season. Finally, she gave me a recipe for her special Quarantine Bread. Here is the recipe:

  The quarantine bread

Mix all the ingredients, cover and let it rise for 8-12 hours (I usually do it over night)

When the time's up, line the baking pan with flour and pour the dough. Pull from the inside out a few times until it forms a small ball. Turn the seam side down and let it rest covered while you preheat the oven to 250° with a pan inside (preferably an iron one with a lid).

As soon as it's super-hot, put the dough in the pan, cover it and bake for 30 minutes. And the magic happens!

Take the lid off and bake for another 10 minutes for a crispy crust.

Mr. Van Rillaer:

The sixth interviewee is Mr. Van Rillaer, who is the IB-MYP Design and Dutch teacher. He would consider his favorite food to be good fresh-made Belgian fries. His favorite type of cuisine is Italian, since it has wonderful pastas and simple dishes with high-quality ingredients. During the Winter season, there is a meal he particularly likes which is from his home country, Belgium, which is oven braised endives in ham, with cheese Bechamel sauce and potato puree, with a delicious gratin of Gruyere on top. Lastly, I asked him if he had any recipes or meals, he would like to share with the OIS community; here is the recipe:

“Making good Belgian fries is not so difficult if you have a good frying machine. Here are the steps for crispy good Belgian fries, delicious!”

1. Buy good potatoes for making fries, in Portugal you can buy ‘Batatas para fritar’ in Lidl, which are great for this.

2. Peel the potatoes and slice them into fries, if you are lucky you have a machine for the slicing into fries. About 7mm is a good thickness.

3. Now fry the fries at 150 degrees Celsius (ask help from an adult!) for 5 minutes

4. Let the fries cool down

5. After cooling down, fry the potatoes a second time at 185 degrees Celsius (ask help from an adult!)

6. Add some salt and enjoy with some mayonnaise or ketchup. Good stuff!

Marine Gonindard:

The seventh interviewee for my cooking article is Mrs. Gonindard, she is the IB MYP and IB DP French teacher, she is also the MYP and DP Head of Lang & Lit Department. Her favorite food is the “Les galettes de sarrasin bretonnes” which means the “Breton Buckwheat Galettes”. Her favorite type of cuisine is French but Japanese and Italian too. Then, her favorite meals to eat during Winter is “Raclette”, a traditional Swiss meal which incorporates mainly cheese. Otherwise, she also enjoys any velouté or soups. She would like to recommend the “Tarte Tatin” which is a tasty French pie.

Ms. Blake:

The eighth interviewee is Ms. Blake, who is the Head of the English Department. Her favorite food is pizza. Her favorite type of cuisine is Thai. She loves Tomato soup or her grandmother’s chicken noodle soup, especially during the Winter season. Finally, she recommends a recipe for goat cheese with rosemary and dried cranberries (which is in my previous articles).

Ms. Helena:

The ninth interviewee is Ms. Helena, who is the administrative of OIS. Helena’s favorite food is “cozido à Portuguesa”, which is a traditional Portuguese dish. Her favorite type of cuisine is “cozinha tradicional”, this translates to traditional cuisine in English. Her favorite meals that she enjoys eating during Winter season is “Feijoada”.

Mrs. Christine Ratzke de Figueiredo:

The tenth interviewee for this article is Mrs. Ratzke de Figueiredo, who is the MYP & DP German teacher. She would consider grilled Portuguese fish to be her favorite food. Her favorite type of cuisine is Mediterranean food, and the meals she most enjoys eating during the Winter season is Portuguese soups.

Ms. Nobre:

The eleventh interviewee is Ms. Nobre, who is the OIS nurse. She said that it was quite difficult to find ‘one’ favorite food. She told me it really depends on her mood, season, company, however, some very typically traditional Portuguese dishes such as “pezinhos de coentrada”; “grao com mao de vaca” and “rabo de boi” are on top of her list. She told me how she is Algarvian and can’t resists to a really smooth grilled fish. Ms. Nobre’s favorite type of cuisine is the Asian cuisine as she really enjoys the Asian flavors. During Winter, she enjoys the meals she mentioned for her favorite food above, and raclette. She told me how winter without “raclette” is the same as summer without beach, and also with the leftovers “tartiflette”.

Mrs. Drysdale:

The twelth interviewee is Mrs. Drysdale, who is one of the OIS Year 6 Educators. Her favorite food is a well-done Spanish Paella (seafood), and she enjoys Mexican cuisine. She loves a delicious rich soup during the Wintertime. Finally, I asked her if she had any recipes or meals, she would like to share with the OIS community, she told me her mom is Polish, therefore, Mrs. Drysdale loves Polish pierogis. There are many ways to prepare “Pierogi” (some with ricotta cheese, some with meat, some with cabbage, some with potato and cheese). According to Mrs. Drysdale, it tastes so good! Here is a website she has recommended to me: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020983-pierogi-ruskie-potato-and-cheese-pierogi

Mr. Sharpe:

The last interviewee is Mr. Sharpe, who is the IB-MYP English and French teacher. He would consider his favorite food to be “Chicken Kiev”. His favorite type of cuisine is Chinese and Thai. During the Winter season, he particularly enjoys Mince and Potatoes. Mr. Sharpe recommends a delicious recipe for Chicken in white wine sauce, here is the full recipe:

Chicken in white wine sauce:

Breast of chicken

Mushrooms (optional)

White wine

Cream

White rice